Pays d'Oc is the PGI for red, white and rosé wines that are produced over a wide area of the southern coast of France. The PGI catchment area corresponds roughly to the Languedoc-roussillon">Languedoc-Roussillon wine region, one of the largest wine regions in France. The area covers all wines that are not produced under the strict laws that govern AOC-level appellations in the regions: among them, Corbières, Minervois and the Languedoc appellation itself. The Pays d'Oc PGI is arguably the most important in France, producing the majority of the country's PGI wines.
Five separate departments fall under the PGI (Hérault, Aude, Gard, Pyrénées-Orientales and six communes in southern Lozère), which is delimited by administrative rather than geographical boundaries. The name therefore covers a wide variety of terrain, from the mountain ranges of the southern Massif Central to the coastal plains of the Camargue crossed by rivers. Vineyards jostle for position in the Garrigue landscape. The Pays d'Oc has a MediterraneanClimate with hot, Dry summers and mild winters.
Marsanne is a white grape variety that originated in Montélimar in the Drôme, several centuries ago. Marsanne is also found in Cassis, Savoie, Languedoc-Roussillon and Saint-Péray in the Ardèche, where it produces remarkable sparkling wines. The warm, sunny climate of the Rhone Valley, Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence, as well as the dry, stony soil, are ideal conditions for its development. Its bunches are quite large and provide small, juicy berries that are sensitive to grey rot and strong winds. These two grape varieties complement each other perfectly: together they give light wines with little acidity, aromas of yellow fruit, white fruit and flowers with notes of honey and liquorice. This is for example what the appellations Saint-Péray, Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, Saint-Joseph, Côtes-du-Vallée du Rhône, Corbières, or Cassis express... which represent about 700 hectares.
white wines from the region of Pays d'Oc go well with generally quite well with dishes of rich fish (salmon, tuna etc), shellfish or vegetarian such as recipes of sea bream in foil on the barbecue, tagliatelle with shrimps or goat cheese and bacon quiche.
On the nose in the region of Pays d'Oc often reveals types of flavors of earth, microbio or oak and sometimes also flavors of tree fruit, citrus fruit or green apple. In the mouth in the region of Pays d'Oc is a with a nice freshness.
